and nixon's image as a loser was driven home by questions like this. >> president eisenhower's asked to give one example of a major idea of yours that he adopted. his reply was, and i'm quoting, if you give me a week, i might think of one, i don't remember. >> i would suggest that if you know the president, that was probably a facetious remark. president president has asked for my advice. i have given it. sometimes my advice has been taken. sometimes it has not. chris: the second time a debate turned things around was ronald reagan's direct appeal to voters in his first and only faceoff with president jimmy carter. >> are you better off than you were four years ago? is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago? do you feel that our security is as safe? that we're as strong as we were four years ago? chris: after that, the next day's "new york times" told the story of how critical that became. the are you better off question took hold. the third time a debate turned the race around was this first debate between vice president al gore and george w.